Exemplary embodiments of this invention generally relate to heat exchangers and, more particularly, to methods of manufacturing a heat exchanger.
Heat exchangers are devices built for transferring heat from one fluid to another. The fluids may be separated by a solid wall or other divider that keeps them from mixing. Heat exchangers are commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning, space heating, electricity generation, and chemical processing. Heat exchangers find use in at least the aerospace and automobile industries.
Heat exchangers are typically required to function in extreme conditions, with varying operating profiles. Each section or component of a heat exchanger is susceptible to a different failure mode. For example, the headers or manifolds of the heat exchanger are more likely to fail as a result of creep and the core of the heat exchanger is more likely to fail due to fatigue. Conventional heat exchangers are typically overdesigned to withstand the potential damage from the cumulative effects of the plurality of failure mechanisms. However, overdesign of the heat exchanger results in increased size and weight of the heat exchanger, thus resulting in a more costly and less efficient unit.